This invention relates to filing apparatus and more particularly to filing cabinets, trays and associated folders.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a filing cabinet having runners which are detachable from the cabinet and which are automatically adjusted to suit the depth of a filing tray, together with its contents.

A further object of the invention is to provide a filing tray which allows the title on an indexing strip of a folder to be seen without withdrawing the tray from the cabinet.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of means in the tray for allowing the folder to be easily withdrawn from the tray. The cabinet is also intended to be particularly suitable for use in building block types of designs in order to utilise the maximum benefit from limited space, and also to benefit from space previously unusable for filing systems.

According to the invention there is provided filing apparatus comprising a filing cabinet having a filing tray supported therein by runners attached to the side walls of the cabinet in which an aperture of sulficient dimension to allow a finger to pass therethrough is provided in the base plate of the tray, thereby enabling direct finger pressure to be exerted on to the contents of the tray.

One embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a filing cabinet including a slideable filing tray and folder housed therein on adjustable runners,

FIGURES 2 and 3 are side and end views respectively of a runner,

FIGURE 4 is a plan view of the filing tray when removed from the cabinet,

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view taken on line AA of FIG. 4, and

FTGURE 6 is a perspective view of a folder.

Referring to the drawings generally the cabinet 1 is open on one face to provide entry for a series of filing trays 2 which may be stacked vertically within the cabinet 1. The cabinet 1 is provided with outward facing lips 12 which extend along an edge of each side Wall 3, thereby giving additional rigidity to the cabinet itself. Each side wall 3 is provided with a series of pairs of horizontal slots 4, the pairs being formed one above the other. A runner 5, which may be moulded from plastic, or similar flexible material, comprises a normally horizontal surface 6, at one end of which is an upstanding lip 7 on which the filing tray 2 is designed to rest, and a pair of vertical lugs 8 bent upwardly and spaced, with respect to one another, at a suitable distance to pass through one of the pairs of slots 4. The upper portion 9 of the lugs 8 thus bears on the outer face of the side walls 3 to support the surface 6 in a horizontal plane. The lower portion 10 of the lugs tirests against the inner face of the side walls when the runner is positioned normally. Two grooves 11 are provided in each lug 3 to aid in repositioning the runners if it is required to attach them to tray (FIGURE 4). The horizontal supporting surface of each runner is, therefore, free to rotate upwardly, in which case the two portions 9 and 1d of lugs 8 are no longer in full contact with the side wall 3. Alternatively, the runners may be flexed downwardly, due to the flexibility of the plastic or other material used.

Accordingly, should an over-full filing tray be inserted into the cabinet on two runners (one on each side wall), these two runners may be flexed downwardly, and the two runners immediately above may be tilted upwardly to obtain extra vertical spacing. Thus, the thickness of each tray, together with its contents, will transmit any displacement to the adjacent trays above and below until the thickness is fully compensated, or until it becomes desirable to detach a pair of runners to provide further clearance.

The shape and dimensions of the runners may therefore be chosen to provide a suitable interval between trays under various conditions, in order that any one tray can be inserted or withdrawn without dragging any of the other trays. Additionally, the runners may be provided with two grooves 11 in each of the lugs 8 to aid in repositioning the runners if it is required to attach them to the tray. Thus, when not attached to the cabinet 1 the grooves 11 of a runner are intended to engage in the retaining bar 19 (later described) of the filing tray 2 with a lug 8 on each side of a threaded knob 27, such that the flat portion 6 of the lug helps to increase the holding capacity of the tray. Thus the runners have two uses, and when detached from the cabinet they may be placed along the front edge of a filing tray.

The filing tray 2 (FIGURES 4 and 5), is made tofit the folder 211, the latter having a top and bottom page, 21, 22 respectively, and an indexing strip 23, and comprises a substantially rectangular base plate 13, having side edge members 14 to provide depth within the tray. The sides of the tray are adapted to slide over a pair 'of runners 5 attached to the filing cabinet 1, the runners 5 extending into the cabinet 1 approximately two-thirds of the distance to which the base plate 13 extends.

The dimensions of the base plate 13 are such as to receive a standard size folder 20 snugly, the indexing strip 23 of the folder lying along the front edge member 18 of the tray 2. A retaining catch 16 extends underneath the rear edge member of the tray, and runs therealong to give angular rigidity to the base plate 13. This retaining catch 16 is positioned so as to engage the ends of the runners 5, and prevent accidental withdrawal of the tray 2 from beyond a certain predetermined position. The catch 16 is further designed to release engagement with the runners when a downward pressure is applied to the front edge member 13 of the tray 2.

Adjacent each of the two corners of the tray normally housed within the cabinet is provided a retaining projection 17 designed to serve two purposes, initially to hold the thickness of the folder and contents against the tray, and secondly to hold the folder 2.0 in a closed position when the tray 2 is used independently of the cabinet.

In order that information written on the indexing strip 23 of the folder 20 may be seen without withdrawing the tray 2, the front edge member 18 (or the complete tray itself) may be made of transparent polystyrene, or other suitable material, or a suitable aperture may be cut therein (not shown). A removable retaining bar 19 is positioned so as to lie behind both the front member 18 and the indexing strip 23 of the folder 20, and to extend substantially therealong. A tapped hole 25 is positioned in the centre of the bar and a corresponding clearance hole 25 in the front member 18, such that when a threaded knob 27 or a projection having a friction catch (not shown) is passed through the latter into the former the assembly is rigid. Thus, when the indexing strip 23 of the folder it} is positioned between the front member 18 and the retaining bar 19, the information thereon may be easily and clearly seen without withdrawing the tray 2 from the cabinet 1. If desired, the cabinet could thus be used as a progress chart. The dimensions of the retaining bar 19 and the thickness of the side edge members 14 of the tray may be chosen to provide a predictable tension between the two in dependence upon the thickness of the indexing strip 23, or other object, to be enclosed therebetween. Chamferred inserts 28 may also be provided on the inside surfaces of the edge members 14 to further correctly position and tension the retaining bar 19.

Additional information may also be written on a portion of the top page 21 of the folder itself, this portion being revealed when the tray is opened from the cabinet until the retainer catch 16 engages the ends of the runners 5.

In order to facilitate easy inspection of the contents of the folder 20, a conveniently placed aperture 29 is cut in the base plate 13 to allow finger pressure to be exerted directly on to the folder. A further aperture 24 may also be cut in the bottom page 22 of the folder 29, thus allowing finger pressure to be exerted directly upon the contents of the folder. In this manner the top page 21 of the folder may also be easily raised to allow access to the contents while the tray 2 is only partially withdrawn from the cabinet. A folder 20 having such an aperture 24 may further be then used independently of the filing tray and allow the folder to be opened easily with one hand. In order to carry this out a still further aperture (not shown) may be cut in the bottom page of the folder such that the thumb of a hand supporting the folder along its hinge line will easily engage the actual contents of the folder.

I claim:

1. Filing apparatus comprising a cabinet closed by walls except at the front, at least one filing tray slideably supported therein, runners attached to side walls of said cabinet for supporting said tray, each of said runners being provided with a horizontal surface and a pair of upstanding lugs one at each end of said surface which removably engage a corresponding pair of slots provided in the side walls of the cabinet, the upper and lower portions of each of said upstanding lugs resting against the outer and inner faces respectively of the side walls of the cabinet in order to allow the normally horizontal surface of the runners to be rotated upwardly to provide extra clearance between two runners attached to the same side wall, said tray being provided with a front edge member of transparent material, a retainer bar and releasable locking means rigidly positioning said retainer bar behind said edge member such that information written on an indexing strip of a folder secured between said bar and said edge member may be seen without withdrawing said tray from said cabinet.

2. Filing apparatus comprising a cabinet closed by walls except at the front, at least one filing tray slideably supported therein, runners attached to side Walls of said cabinet for supporting said tray, each of said runners being provided with a horizontal surface and a pair of upstanding lugs one at each end of said surface which removably engage a corresponding pair of slots provided in the side walls of the cabinet, said tray being provided with a front edge member of transparent material, a retainer bar and releasable locking means rigidly positioning said retainer bar behind said edge member such that information written on an indexing strip of a folder secured between said bar and said edge member may be seen without withdrawing said tray from said cabinet, each of said lugs of the runners being provided with grooves to enable the runners to be positioned along the front edge of the tray when the latter is not attached to the cabinet.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which the runners are made of flexible resilient material to allow the normal- 1y horizontal surface to fiex downwardly.